NY Times contest asks students to rap the year in news

Every weekday, PR Daily associate editor Alan Pearcy highlights the day’s most compelling stories and amusing marginalia on the Web in this, #TheDailySpin.

[Drop the beat]

The Mayans believe our world’s ‘bout to end,
That we’d better bid buh-bye to our family and friends.
If so, it’s been real, though I hope this news proves untrue,
‘Cause then you’ll never stand a chance at winning this contest—boo.The New York Times is asking students to submit,
A rap that sums up 2012 with lyrics too legit to quit.
In partnership with Flocabulary, may you spit better rhyme than I,
Just have a look at last year’s winner and you’ll understand why.
There’s def a lot to cover and entries are due on January 7,
So find your inner Lil Wayne and start flowin’ that lyrical heaven.

I’d appreciate a minute to catch my breath—and it appears Megyn Kelly needs to do the same. The Fox News anchor was blatantly flabbergasted when the network used a new animated graphic to introduce a segment on the “fiscal cliff.” Watch:

Sometimes, a video doesn’t tell the full story, and I’m sure all of us could use a little practice with our storytelling abilities. “Story Dice” can help with that. The mobile app lets users roll a pre-selected number of virtual dice (between 1 and 10) each with different symbols on their faces. After rolling the dice, the challenge is to create a story using each of the symbols shown. (via Boing Boing)

Speaking of stories, as embarrassed as we might be to admit it, even the most mature grownups indulge in the guilty pleasure known as young adult fiction. So why do we read such tawdry tales? The Huffington Post gives seven reasons.

What we read—and watch—appears to be quite an influence on what people are naming their children. While Aiden and Sophia take top honors as the most popular baby names for 2012, according to BabyCenter’s trends report, both E.L. James’ “50 Shades of Grey” and PBS’s “Downton Abbey” left their marks on this year’s list.

Not sure what folks in Switzerland are naming their kids, but my guess is that the little ones will grow up happy. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated the country its best place to be born in 2013, reports Time.

As for the online world in 2013, Social Media Today offers seven social media trends that matter for the new year and provides five steps to spotting others.

Online auctioneer eBay found Glenn Beck’s recent stunt slightly less inspiring. The site pulled the shock jock’s controversial “artwork” of an Obama bobble head floating in what appeared to be a jar of urine. With the last bid up to $11,300, proceeds from the sale were set to go to Beck’s Mercury One charity.

A few pedestrians on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles may have felt stupid after Jimmy Kimmel challenged them to taste test Starbuck’s new $7 cup of coffee—its most expensive—against a regular brew. Too bad both cups were filled with the same coffee, neither of which was brewed at Starbucks.

Coffee might be a daily vice for millions of people, but if you’re anything like my roommate, cheese is your kryptonite. In fact, if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear she penned this steamy love letter to milk’s most glorified byproduct.

Is there something you think we should include in our next edition of #TheDailySpin? Tweet me @iquotesometimes with your suggestions. Thanks in advance.